Carya myristiciformis

Nutmeg hickory (Carya myristiciformis)
Scientific name	Carya myristiciformis[1]
Common names	Nutmeg hickory; bitter hickory; bitter water hickory; swamp hickory
Genus	Carya
Family	Juglandaceae
Order	Fagales
Habit	Large, deciduous, slow-growing tree
Native range	Texas to North Carolina and Nuevo León, Mexico
Elevation	0–500 m
Light	Full sun
USDA hardiness zones	7a–9b
Fruit season	Late autumn

Nutmeg hickory (Carya myristiciformis) is a large deciduous hickory grown for its distinctive bark, foliage and edible nut. It is a slow-growing tree that can approach 100 feet (30 m) in favorable conditions, although cultivated plants may develop much more slowly.^[2] Its natural range extends from Texas through the southeastern United States to North Carolina and into Nuevo León, Mexico. It is associated mainly with bottomlands and stream margins, with occasional plants on bluffs and hillsides, from sea level to about 500 m.^[3]

Description

The tree is deciduous and develops a long taproot. The bark, foliage and nuts provide the principal identification features in the field. The fruit is an elliptical nut enclosed in a thick husk that splits along four ridges; the nut itself is small and thick-shelled. Species accounts describe the kernel as sweet-tasting, despite the common name bitter hickory.^[2][3]

The taproot has practical consequences for nursery work. A permanent planting site is preferable to repeated transplanting, and a young tree should be moved with care rather than treated like a shallow-rooted container shrub.^[2]

Cultivation

Soil and water

In the wild, Carya myristiciformis occurs in moist bottomlands and beside streams, but it also occupies some upland bluffs and hillsides. Begin with a deep, moist soil that has useful drainage; rich sandy or clay soil is suitable when the root zone remains open for the developing taproot. The species is a poor candidate for a cramped bed or a planting that will need frequent relocation. North Carolina guidance specifically recommends placing it in its permanent location, while the botanical account notes a long taproot and transplanting difficulties.^[2][3]

Sun and humidity

Use full sun for the main planting. Its bottomland and streamside range indicates an affinity for available soil moisture, while its occurrence on bluffs and hillsides shows that the species is not restricted to permanently saturated ground.^[2][3]

Seasonal changes

The tree is deciduous. Catkins appear in spring, and the nuts ripen in late autumn.^[2] A grower should therefore expect the main harvest to come after the growing season rather than during the spring catkin display. Fallen leaves and husks can be removed after harvest, while sound nuts may be kept in the shell in a cool place for at least six months.^[2]

Propagation

Seed is the documented propagation route for Carya myristiciformis.^[2] Because the species forms a long taproot and is difficult to transplant, start seed in a container that allows downward root development or sow it where the tree is intended to remain. Do not treat a small, easily lifted seedling as evidence that an older tree will transplant readily.

Flowering, fruiting, and harvest

Spring catkins are followed by thick-husked nuts that mature in late autumn.^[2] The husk is elliptical and about 1–1.2 inches long in the North Carolina account, with four longitudinal ridges that split as the fruit opens. The nut is small relative to the husk and has a thick shell.^[2][3]

Collect mature nuts in late autumn when the husks are splitting and the seed is fully developed. The reported cool, in-shell storage period is at least six months.^[2]

Fruit and uses

The kernel is described as edible and sweet-tasting, but the thick shell makes cracking an important part of use. The nut is a food item documented in botanical and extension accounts; those descriptions do not constitute a species-specific food-safety assessment. Keep harvested nuts dry and cool in the shell, following the reported storage practice rather than assuming that a cracked kernel has the same keeping quality.^[2][3]

Photos

References

• ↑ [1] GBIF species match: Carya myristiciformis.

• ↑ [2] Carya myristiciformis — North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.

• ↑ [3] Carya myristiciformis — Trees and Shrubs Online.

Image credits

• Carya myristiciformis USDA.jpg — foliage, nuts and bark; Carl Hunter, USDA SCS; public domain. File page.

• Carya myristiciformis (Nutmeg Hickory) (32397624963).jpg — tree specimen; Plant Image Library, Boston, USA; CC BY-SA 2.0. File page.